WWE

WWE Hall of Famer Invited to SummerSlam for First Time in 27 Years

WrestleVotes reports WWE invited Jesse Ventura to SummerSlam in Minneapolis, with a pre-show role discussed internally but nothing finalized yet.

WWE Hall of Famer Invited to SummerSlam for First Time in 27 Years
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Jesse Ventura could be back on WWE TV this weekend in his home state.

WrestleVotes Radio reported on Fightful Select that WWE has sent an invite to the Hall of Famer to attend SummerSlam in Minneapolis. Using Ventura on television, most likely in a pre-show role, has been discussed internally, but there’s no word yet on whether he accepted or if he’ll end up on camera.

SummerSlam runs two nights, 8/1 and 8/2, at U.S. Bank Stadium, with the main show starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT both nights.

Ventura has history with the event in Minnesota. In 1999, while serving as governor of the state, he was the special guest referee for the SummerSlam main event at Target Center, where Mankind beat “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Triple H in a triple threat to win the WWF Title.

He worked the same role at the first SummerSlam in 1988 at Madison Square Garden, refereeing the Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage) against the Mega Bucks (Ted DiBiase and André the Giant).

Ventura signed a Legends deal in October 2024 and returned that December to call the revival of Saturday Night’s Main Event. He was off the last several SNME shows, and Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter last November that the deal, believed to be a one-year agreement, had run out.